A couple weeks ago, I was fortunate to see a highly entertaining free concert at Millennium Park. The concert was a tribute to guitar legend Jimi Hendrix…only this tribute was performed by San Francisco-based string quartet, Turtle Island Quartet.

I’ve always been a fan of groups and musicians that blend different genres of music…the Police, one of my favorite groups, is a great example as they combine elements of punk, reggae and pop. At the concert, I was amazed to hear how this string quartet pulled off songs by Hendrix, Coltrane and Miles Davis. Needless to say, I was highly entertained and very impressed. And it reminded me that having a wide range of influences is a good thing.

The Quartet played the Hendrix version of this classic Bob Dylan tune…Have a great weekend!

He’s played in Frank Zappa’s band as a teenager and has played in Whitesnake, Alcatrazz and David Lee Roth’s band. But Steve Vai’s greatest legacy has come as a solo artist. Whether he’s playing a dozen notes a second or something slower and melodic (like this song), Steve Vai never ceases to amaze me. Part metaphysical madman, part fretboard speed demon – Vai is 100 percent guitar virtuoso. I love his expressiveness as he feels each notes he plays…it reminds me that if you happen to be doing something you love, make it obvious.

Growing up, music was always my escape. Still is. But I’ve always been amazed at the power music has to bring people together. I remember thinking that when I attended dozens and dozens of rock concerts back in the day (the 80’s and 90’s especially).

The Music Never Stopped looks like an interesting film that touches on how music can bring not only great memories to mind, but also its power to bring people together. It’s based on an essay by neurologist Oliver Sacks, who has also written the book “Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain.”

“The Music Never Stopped” also happens to be the name of one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs (for a good representation of the song click here). Both the song and movie of the same name remind me of the importance of music in my life and the importance it has on a lot of other people’s lives. Here’s hoping your weekend is filled with great music that never stops…

From a marketing perspective, I really like Mutual of Omaha’s “A-ha Moments” campaign. While I don’t think each of our aha or lightbulb moments can actually be sponsored (just as Kleenex would not sponsor my next sneeze), I do love how Mutual of Omaha used their commercial to help share a-ha moments from people across the country. The other night I was sitting at my computer with the television on in the background when I heard a familiar voice, Joe Heuer better known as the “Rock N Roll Guru.” He was talking about his philosophy and his a-ha moment. I was sucked in and replayed the commercial several times on my DVR.

This video fits well with my last post about our work stories. Joe’s video here is a great example of someone’s face lighting up when they talk about their life’s purpose. It’s something all of us should strive to discover if we don’t know it already.

I’ve also got a confession to make…I’ve been an admirer of Joe’s since he sent me a copy of his eBook, Dream Tweets. While I never got around to officially reviewing it on my blog, I was really blown away. It’s filled with bite-sized words of wisdom. And because I’m such a rock-n-roll fan, Joe’s message really resonates with me. Joe, if you’re reading this, I’m hoping that one day I’ll run into you at Summerfest as we wait in line for drinks during one of the shows. For me, there’s nothing like talking music (especially classic rock) with passionate music fans.

I’ve been a big fan of experimental jazz/jam band Medeski Martin and Wood for while now…great music to write to by the way. In any case, the Wood Brothers is a folky blues band that features MMW bassist Chris Wood and his brother Oliver. One thing I think you’ll notice and appreciate is the sound of Chris Wood’s standup bass which really gives their music a nice groove. The song featured today is a cover of the popular Allman Brothers tune. It’s a big more mellow, but I really dig their interpretation and hope you do too. Have a great weekend!

Combine guitar players from early versions of both Genesis and Yes and you get one of the 80’s greatest supergroups – GTR. The band features Yes’ Steve Howe and former Genesis guitar player Steve Hackett. Being the guitar nerd that I was, I saw this band play Chicago’s Riviera Theater with couple buddies in the summer of 1986 and it was one of my earliest and favorite concert memories. “The Hunter” is probably my favorite song off that album and has a haunting bassline combined with a dated 1980’s sound. This is good ol’ classic rock at its finest. I hope you have a great weekend and enjoy…